Rotary separators are used in microgravity environments to separate a liquid and gas mixture. During the operation of a typical rotary separator, a vortical flow is developed in the process stream as it flows through a rotating drum. The fluid is subject to an inertial acceleration field, resulting in centrifugal forces directed radially outward towards the inner surface of the drum. The substances having relatively high densities in the vortical flow stream, such as liquids, are subject to the highest centrifugal forces. Thus, liquids present in the flow stream are centrifuged and captured against the inner surface of the drum, thereby radially separating the liquids (high-density substances) from the gas (low density substances). As a result, a “clean” or substantially non-liquid-transporting gas flow stream exits axially from the drum and flows downstream of the rotary separator.